On August 19, 2025, a startling claim emerged from a place shrouded in secrecy and speculation: Area 51. David Crete, a former Air Force Sergeant and security guard at the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), stepped forward with allegations that the U.S. government has been concealing a deadly health crisis affecting military personnel stationed at some of the country’s most classified sites. According to Crete, the scope of the problem is vast, stretching far beyond the boundaries of Area 51 and touching the lives of hundreds of veterans and their families.
Crete, who served at NTTR from 1983 through 1987, described to Daily Mail how he and many of his colleagues became seriously ill with mysterious symptoms years after their service. The illnesses, he said, were not isolated incidents. "Hundreds of my fellow workers have died of severe illnesses, including cancer, since being stationed at the secret facility," he stated. The cause, Crete believes, is an "invisible enemy": hazardous radiation that has contaminated the water, soil, and air around the base. The NTTR, which houses the infamous Area 51, was constructed on land used for nuclear weapons testing in the 1940s and 1950s, a legacy that, according to Crete, continues to haunt those who served there.
Remarkably, this isn’t a new concern. A 1975 report from the U.S. Department of Energy warned that the area was severely irradiated. Despite the warning, the military continued to station troops at NTTR. Crete’s allegations don’t stop at Area 51. He asserted that similar conditions exist at other military bases, missile complexes, and secret laboratories across the country, causing severe illnesses that the government has yet to acknowledge. "I think that the government has tried to sweep a whole lot of places under the rug," Crete told Daily Mail.
When pressed about whether classified projects at Area 51 are still exposing soldiers to dangerous radiation and other contaminants, Crete’s response was unequivocal: "100 percent." He explained that these projects likely include the development of advanced fighter aircraft, citing his own experience guarding the F-117A Nighthawk, America’s first stealth bomber, during the 1980s. It was during this period, Crete claims, that many veterans were unwittingly contaminated.
The risks, according to Crete, are almost unavoidable. He recounted a conversation with a physicist who had studied the radiation and chemicals in the Nevada desert. The scientist’s assessment was grim: "The odds of somebody working up there for four years and not getting sick are one in a million." This chilling probability prompted Crete to take action. After retiring from the military, he founded an advocacy group dedicated to pushing for legislation that would provide medical care to those affected by exposure at these classified sites.
The need for such advocacy became clear to Crete during a reunion party about a decade ago. He recalled, "One of the guys asked the question, 'Does anybody have a tumor?' which is kind of an odd question. Well, six out of eight of us in my backyard at the time that afternoon had tumors." The realization that so many of his peers were suffering from similar ailments galvanized Crete’s efforts to seek justice and care for veterans.
The impact of the contamination, Crete alleges, extends beyond the veterans themselves. He recounted how another veteran at the reunion revealed that his child had been born with a tumor. Crete then shared his own family’s experience: "My wife and I, our first son, was born with something called neurofibromatosis, which is a genetic disorder, and one of the effects of it is you can get tumors at nerve endings." According to Crete, the damage to DNA caused by radiation exposure at these facilities has had devastating consequences for families.
Crete’s advocacy has not gone unnoticed. In April 2025, he spoke before the House Veterans Affairs Committee, detailing the health issues faced by Area 51 veterans and urging lawmakers to act. Currently, two bills—S.2220 and H.R.1400—are making their way through Congress. Their aim is to compel the Pentagon to acknowledge the health risks faced by veterans exposed to toxins at these bases and to provide them with the medical care they need. Crete expressed hope that, if these measures pass, future legislation will also address the needs of family members who have been affected.
"We are not unique. Maybe the radiation stuff that we dealt with is a little more unique than other places. But even that is not a unique problem," Crete said. He referenced other contaminated sites, such as George Air Force Base in California, which was closed in 1992 due to severe environmental contamination. "People who were stationed there are sick because they know that there are toxins that were buried there," Crete claimed. He also pointed to health issues among missile crews and bomb loaders, suggesting that the problem is widespread within the military.
One of the most significant obstacles facing affected veterans is the classified nature of their service. For those stationed at Area 51 and NTTR, records of their activities have been marked as "data masked," meaning the government will not acknowledge they were ever at the base. This bureaucratic barrier has made it nearly impossible for veterans to prove their exposure and obtain medical care. Crete alleged that the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have denied care to these soldiers, citing the lack of proof due to the classified nature of their assignments. "Our existence up on the range to this day is still classified, and they keep it classified to protect them," Crete claimed. He emphasized, however, that the healthcare changes he and other veterans are advocating for would not reveal any sensitive information about their work for the military.
As the debate continues in Congress, the Pentagon has declined to comment on the allegations, referring inquiries to the Department of Veterans Affairs. According to Daily Mail, the agency’s response is still pending. Meanwhile, Crete and his advocacy group remain determined to break the silence surrounding these health issues and to secure the support that veterans and their families desperately need.
The unfolding story of David Crete and his fellow veterans raises difficult questions about the legacy of secrecy, the cost of national defense, and the responsibility owed to those who serve. For now, the search for answers—and justice—continues, with the hope that the invisible wounds of the past will finally be acknowledged in the halls of power.
